It's Superb Owl Sunday!
This has been an amazing owl season. Since November I have seen more than 11 owls. While Cleveland hasn't had a Snowy Owl this year (and I do love them so much), and there are a few owls I'm still hoping to see, there have been so many already! Three different Barred Owls - including the one I call Shakespeare the Barred Owl, featured in the center of this post - quite a few Screech Owls, an impressive Great Horned Owl, and my first time photographing Short Eared Owls.
I'll be celebrating Superb Owl Sunday in the traditional way - heading out on a road trip to look for Short Eared Owls. Shorties are beautiful and elusive birds. I've driven many many miles and spent hours and hours and hours standing out in the cold in rural fields, often without sighting a single owl at all. That's just part of bird and wildlife photography though - and it's all the sweeter when I do get to see that special bird that's been so hard to find!
While I'm out on my owling adventure, enjoy these beautiful owls from the 22-23 season 🦉❤️
Reading your “It’s Superb Owl Sunday!” post took me straight back to a crisp autumn afternoon three years ago when I stumbled upon a family of barn owls nesting in an old oak behind my grandparents’ farmhouse. I was out collecting firewood, and the air was filled with that sharp, earthy scent of fallen leaves. As I paused, a soft hoot echoed from the hollow, and I caught a glimpse of a mother owl perched on a branch, her eyes glowing amber in the dim light. The moment felt like a quiet secret shared between us, and I stayed still, watching the little owlets peck at insects below. That encounter sparked a lifelong fascination with these nocturnal hunters, and I…
Coolness.
I love love love your owl photos.